The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-08-17


The following extract fro a a couEuunt
c.ation to F..rsst and SSrs.sps isof more thar
passing interest % al who catch s5F ny
10 catch fish. ali who eat ish, and al
who dislike Wslnton cruelty. especiailg 5
when e s directly opposed q their SCI
ash interests-and thsSe three eis-sss
ought to embrace pretty much everybody
Anglers can Just a. easily treat fish with
decent humanity ss with harbarous cra-
elty. and certain ought 70 do 20 when
they know that the fish are enough bet
Ter eating 70 pay for IL
In RuSsia ansi Japan, hsh are iniur-
ed as littie a. p,ssible, for they are us-
uaily preserved alive IN tank until
wanted s0r the table. then, fit be in a
hotel, they are exhibited alive 70 the
guests and instantly killed. In some
parts of our own country this matter is
equally understood, for instance, IN An
napoiis. Nj. no hoGsekeeper Wiil bay
Ssh that are not alive and active. and
hence toe market dealers keep them ia
large TANKS until wanted
~On q yachting cruise of the east end
Of Long Island learned how 10 treat and
cock fish. our captain instantly kill
ed the frst bluefsh caught, dressed II,
cut 1t into broad strips ernsswise, sailed
them, and then Dropped them into boil
ing Elt. then be 1T chem bod Q il io5ieh-
nuts say half an hour, until the expec-
tant guests hoWleI with Impatient ieng-
ing and ~toulachi. pain. The result vas
a fish meal that seemed neW revelation,
for never at. su.h fish before. Il was
brown and crisp AMI done all through
that's the secret. Upon returning home
Irsforme,l the x-tisil-loving sable cook,
bur somehow the taste Of that blue fish
didn't uiaterialize. At first attributed II
all 10 fresh sea air. etc, but finally by
experiment I found thar ish allowed 10
die SLOWLY deteriorate more than those
killed speedily. and then the blnedsh
came again in almost his original tooth
-omeuess
Thus much for the case, viewed from
a parely selfish standpoint Is there no
other reason for not torturiug fsh in
extracting the hook, and also for killing
him at ouces Let Us reason together.
Has q fish no reason we are bound 10 ~
spect2 Putting ourselves in the place of
= fish, how would we ike % have 4 huge
barbed hook turned and twisted In and
finally pulled ogr Of our Iungs. throat,
eyes, etc.s Fish have not our highly de-
veIoped nervous system, but We should
remember that wherever red blood +
there Is seRsitiveness, and in general the
degree Of sensitiveness corresponds with
the quantity of blood IN given area OF
quantity Of tissue or flesh. Vow, fsh's
throat and lis surrounding parts ars fHll
Of red blood and It ought u be clear 10
any one, from thar fact alone, that the
pain following q piercing, rupture or
tearing Of these tissues or blood vessels
must cause pain or even agony 10 4 fish
lately discovered work entitled
The AT Of Fishing etc, by oliver Ray
mond, L L B. printed in London By
the Queens printers. which treats Of cru
city ID fish IN this wise
XII the dsh directly after you shall
have caught him By killing the 6sh al
once. YOU not only curtail his suffering
out you secure % yourself better fish
For. fish killed on the instant they are
caught, eat finer than when left % die a
lingering death. should you wish 10
know why. VIII tel you. and may the
information work On the feelings of those
merciless fishermen who leave their fish,
when caught, 70 die by slow degrees
either bali smother IN their panniers. or
strung on a stick, with their torn and
bleeding gills hanging down by their
tormentsr's sides A fish which dies 5y
slow degrees wastes itself, and Why
From pain and suffering IfyoG observe
them, they seem t. sigh, their flesh be-
comes habby-so much - that when
they are dressed they have lost, in a
measure that tirnlless which q sudden
death ike that have mentioned would
have sprea.i over the whole fsh. Thus
there are two reasous why the fish cap
tured. whether bv net 0rh0ok. should be
killed immediately-the more important
Of the t~o, that he suffers no unnecessary
pain; the other Is.ss important. that he
viii eat The better To Kill fish quickly
the author recommends this plan. - Be
provided with a staff about j foot bong.
which you can carry in your side pocket,
with this give the fish a smart blow on
the back Of the head. close TO the neck.
and he vii BE- dead IN an instant You
may then take the hook out Of bis mouth
but not before, If you would follow NV
merrifIl directions.
- much for Hr Raymond but
Whenever bis pl;rn i incoHvenient 7 I
x0uld suggest this substitute, namely.
put a foretinger IN the dsh's mouth and
he thumb Just behind his head, then I
1--WE sudden bend backward, which viii I
.nap his backbone and instantly end his I
.ufferings-